The present invention is generally directed toward to the dispensing of product for a user. In particular, the present invention relates to the dispensing of medication for a patient using reminder and overdose safeguard incorporated into a medicine container.
The advances in medicine are enhancing the quality of patients"" lives. Ailments, for which only a few years ago, there were no effective treatments are now taken care of by one or more drugs. In many cases, the patient only has to remember to take a pill over prescribed intervals, for example three times daily. However, a number of ailments required treatment with one or more combinations of (oral) medication.
With most medication (e.g., pills, syrups), doses have to be taken at specific intervals (Every four-six hours) or times of day (Before meals). A person may have difficulty remembering to take medication, sometimes people have difficulty remembering that they have already taken a dose. The result may be either that the amount of medicine taken is too low to affect the course of the ailment or that the amount is too high and causes overdose reactions. In a multiple drug regimen, such a scenario is even more convoluted and may pose grave consequences to the patient.
There exists a need to prevent the improper dosing of medication and to help the patient follow his/her drug regimen.
The compliance with a drug regimen to treat a particular ailment is significant in achieving a successful outcome. Maintaining an efficacious level of the drug rests with taking a proper dose at the appropriate intervals. The present invention is exemplified in a number of implementations, a number of which are summarized below.
In one embodiment according to the present invention, a container comprises an interface part for enabling a user to be reminded of taking a dose of a substance in the container. The interface part comprises a timer and a user-alert generator coupled to the timer for generating an alert upon a predetermined time interval. An additional feature of the embodiment is that it further comprises a sensor to detect whether a closure has been removed from the container. A dose-indication informs the user of the time since a last substance dose. The dose indication further informs the user as to whether to take a next substance dose, the time of the last dose determined by the timer receiving a signal from the sensor. Yet, another additional feature the embodiment is that the container further comprises a communications interface enabling programming of a parameter associated with the alert to administer the substance.
In another embodiment according to the present invention, there is a method of reminding to administer a dose of medication. The method comprises sending a reminder via a portable electronic device; and enabling the device to receive the reminder.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a service is on a communication network for sending a control message to an electronic device for causing the device to generate a reminder. The device confirms to the service receipt of the control message. Then the service sets a time for a next control message upon receipt of the confirmation.
The above summaries of the present invention are not intended to represent each disclosed embodiment, or every aspect, of the present invention. Other aspects and example embodiments are provided in the figures and the detailed description that follows.